Our 2008 Christmas Angel...

Good Afternoon!  In my previous post entitled, "Come and See What God Will Do!", I began blogging a series about "miraculous examples of how God provided the big and the little things for our family during the years 2007-2009."  If you have not read this post, I strongly suggest you do so before reading this one.  It gives important background information and sets the stage for the miracles God was to perform in our lives during this time.

As you know from the previous post, we adopted a little girl from Guatemala and went through a major financial crisis leading to bankruptcy, leaving us with no credit - cash on the barrel living; which was very new to us.  The previous post also shares miracle #1.  :)  The following is what was not shared in that post:

1.  We brought our daughter, Brooklynne (estimated age 3), home from Guatemala the week before Christmas 2006.  We knew about her past - abandonment, malnourishment, neglect, abused by her mother/grandmother, and that she had to have surgery where 2 cups of blood were drained from her brain.  Before the surgery, all she could do was sit and cry.  The orphanage told us that after her surgery, she started to crawl/walk, say mama/papa, play with her toys, that school may be a little difficult, and that she should be able to live on her own.  Short story:  Brooklynne is severely disabled, nonverbal, not potty trainable, cannot do anything on her own, has seizures, and will never be able to live on her own.
Needless to say, the next two years were difficult.  We were angry and heartbroken.  We took Brooklynne to a developmental specialist who did NOT have a good bedside manner.  He was abrupt, rude, and the farthest thing from compassionate.  After a very quick look at Brooky and a small test, he said, "She is mentally retarded.  I suggest you put her in school, get an education plan, and when she is an adult, put her in a home."  Then he left the room.  I went home in tears.  We had just moved to our new rental house after losing everything, new in the community, and had no one.

2.  The new financial situation, Brooklynne, and everything else life threw our way, had my marriage on the rocks.  Those couple years were the worst for my husband and I.  There were so many days that we both wanted to give up on each other, but we loved Christ and our children more.  Those two things held us together.

3. Late summer of 2007, our oldest son left home.  We were all grieving something awful.  I was literally on the verge of a breakdown.  One day, my four year old son was so upset about his brother leaving, he just ran out of the house crying.  I lost it.  I called our social worker and told her my family was falling apart and I could not take care of Brooklynne any more.  This is a story within itself to save for another time.  For now, all you need to know, is that the social worker set up a meeting with a family that wanted to adopt Brooky.  We almost went through with it, until God intervened.

4.  My mental health was so poor, I had to go on sleeping pills and an anti-depressant.

5.  In mid-December 2008, my father-in-law died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack.  It was devastating to our family.

But God...

was healing my broken marriage, and by mid 2008, our marriage was in the process of being restored.  

was putting people in our lives that would produce life-long friendships.

was healing our family.

So we are now to Christmas 2008.  (If you remember from my previous post, God was teaching me to pray, telling no one but Him our needs).  We were still flat broke and the budget falling short.  The boys needed jeans.  The girls needed clothes.  We did not go many places, as we had a very small gas budget.  I needed down time.  Almost everything for Christmas that year was bought from Goodwill or a garage sale. 

Earlier that fall, as I was making a trip to Goodwill, I passed a yard sale.  I took a glance and saw a white, wicker vanity that I thought Bailee would love.  I stopped to take a closer look and bought it at a very good price.  I brought it home but needed a place to hide it.  I called my neighbor (the one God used for Miracle #1) to see if I could keep it at her house until Christmas.  A couple days later, I took the vanity over to her house while on my way to Walmart.  I had my Walmart list made - only needs, of course - one of those needs being hats/mittens for the children.  When I stopped by the neighbor's house to drop off the vanity, she said that she had gone through some boxes and found these - a bag full of hats and mittens!  God reminded me that there was nothing too small to ask Him for, as I did not even think of praying for hats/mittens.  But He provided them anyway.  Bailee still has the vanity - 7 years later.

Oh, there is more!!!!!  :)

It was a week day, a few days before that same Christmas 2008.  The children and I were at home doing our school work.  There was a knock on our country door.  We all went to see who it was.  There was a man with a big box.

He asked, "Is this the Lybarger home?"

"Yes, it is," I replied.

"I am from FedEx.  I have a package for you."

We had no idea what it was or who sent it.  We were so excited, that all I remember is saying thank you to the man then looking over the box.  He left.  On top of the box, it said, "Lybarger's".

I thought, "Wait.  There is no address on this package - and no postage.  This isn't even a FedEx box.  As a matter of fact, he was driving a car!  What on earth?" 

Of course, we had to wait for Dad to get home.  The anticipation was too much.  That night we opened the box.  In the box were individual gifts personally tagged for each member of our family.  We opened our gifts.  Are you ready for this?  In the box was a corduroy, flannel-lined shirt and a $50 gas card for my husband; a pair of jeans (their exact size) and a shirt for the boys;  outfits for the girls and a little ballerina figure for Bailee, who was taking ballet at the time; and bubble bath/lotion for me.

Exactly what we needed.

I tried to find out who sent that box.  I called all of my closest friends to see if it was them.  Nope.  As a matter of fact, one friend said, "I wish I could say I did, but I didn't.  Whoever sent the package wants to remain anonymous.  I would leave it that way."

To this day, our family believes it was a Christmas Angel, sent by God, to show His love, faithfulness, and provision to a broken family that needed some joy in their lives that year.  It was the best Christmas ever!

I just cannot make this stuff up.  Believe in miracles.

Have a great night, folks.

Tori Lynne